Abstract: A tampon applicator assembly has a barrel with a fingergrip. The fingergrip has one or more flared portions and/or one or more rib-like or ring-like gripping structures. A tampon applicator fingergrip includes one or more flared portions having a flare angle between about 139° and about 156° and a curve represented by an equation range of y=16.127x3?1.5061x2+0.0568x+0.0001 to y=6.9136x3?0.5598x2+0.0168x+0.0003, where y is an incremental increase in a height of the curve at a distance along a length of the curve.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing of medical products such as a feminine hygiene product, is presented. The apparatus includes a body, a pump and a vaginal canal assembly. The body includes an internal chamber and a bottom surface having a bore open to the internal chamber. The pump provides a fluid to the body. In one embodiment, the fluid is a menses simulant. The vaginal canal assembly includes an interior canal accepting the product. The vaginal canal assembly includes a passage providing the fluid to the interior canal. The apparatus includes a pressure regulator controlling pressure exerted on the vaginal canal assembly from a volume of air within the internal chamber. The apparatus includes a stand. The stand includes a retaining device and a locking device. The locking device cooperates with the retaining device to selectively secure the body in at least one of a rotational position and an angular position.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing of medical products such as a feminine hygiene product, is presented. The apparatus includes a body, a pump and a vaginal canal assembly. The body includes an internal chamber and a bottom surface having a bore open to the internal chamber. The pump provides a fluid to the body. In one embodiment, the fluid is a menses simulant. The vaginal canal assembly includes an interior canal accepting the product. The vaginal canal assembly includes a passage providing the fluid to the interior canal. The apparatus includes a pressure regulator controlling pressure exerted on the vaginal canal assembly from a volume of air within the internal chamber. The apparatus includes a stand. The stand includes a retaining device and a locking device. The locking device cooperates with the retaining device to selectively secure the body in at least one of a rotational position and an angular position.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides low pH fibers that are treated with additives, preferably after regenerating the cellulosic fiber, to control the pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) in an aqueous environment where the fiber is placed. The low pH fibers can be formed into fibrous articles such as tampons or wipes. The low pH fibers with the additives provide health benefits to the user in that they hinder the ability of harmful bacteria to flourish.

Abstract: There is provided a tampon pledget that includes one or more enhanced features that result in the pledget exhibiting increased bypass leakage prevention. These enhanced features may include, but are not limited to, geometry, absorption, and any combinations thereof. There is also provided one or more methods for constructing a tampon pledget having increased bypass leakage protection.

Abstract: There is provided a tampon pledget that includes one or more enhanced features that result in the pledget exhibiting increased bypass leakage prevention. These enhanced features may include, but are not limited to, geometry, absorption, and any combinations thereof. There is also provided one or more methods for constructing a tampon pledget having increased bypass leakage protection.

Abstract: A tampon pledget is made by assembling one or more pads in a pad compression configuration, radially compressing the pad compression configuration in a traverse direction into a cylindrical form, and axially compressing the cylindrical form in a direction along a vertical axis to form the tampon pledget. In one embodiment, the axial compression is performed as a pressure is applied to at least one of a first and a second end of the cylindrical form. In one aspect of the present invention, the formed tampon pledget has an absorbent capacity as measured by the syngyna test of between about 6.0 grams to 9.0 grams and a density of about 0.4603 grams/cubic centimeter. In another aspect of the invention, the formed tampon pledget has an absorbent capacity as measured by the syngyna test of between about 9.0 grams to 12.0 grams and a density of about 0.4755 grams/cubic centimeter.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a tampon wrapper that is a polyethylene film tube having at least a first sealed end with a notch in the first sealed end, and a number of perforations extending from the notch along the axial length of the tampon wrapper. The wrapper is quiet, easy to open, and provides a sanitary method of storing a used applicator.

Abstract: A feminine hygiene product is presented. The feminine hygiene product includes a body having a mass of compressed fibrous material, an insertion end and a withdrawal end. The body has an overall length L. The insertion end has a diameter A and the withdrawal end has a diameter B. In an initial state, diameter B is at least about equal to up to about ten percent greater than the diameter A. When exposed to a fluid, diameter B radially expands such that a ratio of diameter B to the diameter A is about 1.25 to 1. In one embodiment, the feminine hygiene product is a vaginal tampon and when exposed to a fluid, diameter B expands more rapidly than diameter A to substantially seal a bottom portion of a vaginal cavity and prevent bypass leakage.

Abstract: A compression ignition internal combustion engine which operates using a methane based fuel and an ignition initiator. The fuel and method of operating the engine can be employed in a range of applications such as, for example, road or marine vehicles or in static applications such as electrical generators.

Abstract: A tampon pledget has an absorbent mass of material and a withdrawal string located at one end thereof. During use, the tampon pledget expands to take on a geometric configuration that approximates the shape of the vagina into which the tampon pledget is inserted. An anthroprometrically expandable tampon pledget has an absorbent mass of material that is defined by a first end having a first density, a second end having a second density, and a portion intermediate the first and second ends. The material expands at different rates upon being contacted by body fluids, thereby allowing the tampon pledget to conform to the shape of a vagina. A method of making an expandable tampon pledget includes the steps of providing an absorbent material, attaching a string thereto, and compressing the material into a cylindrical shape such that a density gradient is realized over a length of the compressed material.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing of medical products such as a feminine hygiene product, is presented. The apparatus includes a body, a pump and a vaginal canal assembly. The body includes an internal chamber and a bottom surface having a bore open to the internal chamber. The pump provides a fluid to the body. In one embodiment, the fluid is a menses simulant. The vaginal canal assembly includes an interior canal accepting the product. The vaginal canal assembly includes a passage providing the fluid to the interior canal. The apparatus includes a pressure regulator controlling pressure exerted on the vaginal canal assembly from a volume of air within the internal chamber. The apparatus includes a stand. The stand includes a retaining device and a locking device. The locking device cooperates with the retaining device to selectively secure the body in at least one of a rotational position and an angular position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tampon pledget with one or more of the following properties: increased absorbency rate; high absorbent capacity and fluid retention; rapid expansion potential; and ease of ejection of the pledget from the applicator. Surprisingly, the one or more properties are achieved by using a modified dual cross-pad, folded, compressed tampon pledget design.

Abstract: There is provided a tampon pledget that includes one or more enhanced features that result in the pledget exhibiting increased bypass leakage prevention. These enhanced features may include, but are not limited to, geometry, absorption, and any combinations thereof. There is also provided one or more methods for constructing a tampon pledget having increased bypass leakage protection.

Abstract: There is provided a tampon applicator assembly having a barrel with an improved fingergrip. The improved fingergrip has one or more flared portions and/or one or more rib-like or ring-like gripping structures. As a result of these features, the tampon assembly provides a user with improved control, which results in proper pledget placement and thus comfort to the user.

Abstract: A Ziegler-Natta procatalyst composition in the form of solid particles and comprising magnesium, halide and transition metal moieties, said particles having an average size (D50) of from 10 to 70 ?m, characterized in that at least 5 percent of the particles have internal void volume substantially or fully enclosed by a monolithic surface layer (shell), said layer being characterized by an average shell thickness/particle size ratio (Thickness Ratio) determined by SEM techniques for particles having particle size greater than 30 ?m of greater than 0.2.